Jay-Z's Newest Client: Yankees' Robinson Cano

Rapper and record producer Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter is branching into the world of sports agency, and he has landed the biggest available fish as his first client. Dan Barbarisi reports.

By

Daniel Barbarisi

Updated April 2, 2013 7:33 p.m. ET

Rapper and record producer Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter is branching out into the world of sports agency, and he has landed the biggest available fish in all of baseball as his first client.

New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, the team's best player, is hiring Mr. Carter and his partners to represent him as he heads for free agency this fall, according to Mr. Carter's company, Roc Nation.

While Creative Artists Agency veterans are expected to take the lead in contract talks, Mr. Carter is involved in more than name alone. He is expected to gradually delve more into the negotiating side of the business and may eventually become a certified agent.

"Because of my love of sports, it was a natural progression to form a company where we can help top athletes in various sports the same way we have been helping artists in the music industry for years," the 43-year-old Mr. Carter said.

Mr. Cano, 30, is earning $15 million in the final year of his six-year, $57 million Yankees contract. He could command a deal of $200 million or more over multiple years when he hits the market this winter.

Mr. Boras is known for getting his clients top dollar, perhaps most memorably the 10-year, $252 million deal he won for former client Alex Rodriguez after the 2000 season. But Mr. Cano's move to join Mr. Carter indicates a desire to increase his off-field visibility.

"At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors both on and off the field," Mr. Cano said in a statement. "I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports and CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short- and long-term goals."

Steve Horowitz, a partner at InnerCircle Sports and a former senior executive at the sports agency ProServ, said the partnership appears to make sense for all involved.

For Mr. Carter, it expands his sports portfolio at a time when the worlds of sports and entertainment continue to merge. For CAA, joining Mr. Carter increases the company's ability to bring major celebrities and athletes into its fold, since there are few figures who have as much credibility with young athletes today than Jay-Z.

"He can talk to them about both their on-field and off-field businesses, and in the way that he has migrated from singer to producer to sports-team owner, show them a path that I'm sure a lot of them would like to follow one day," Mr. Horowitz said.

Mr. Carter is a minority owner in the National Basketball Association's Brooklyn Nets. Mike Bass, the NBA's executive vice president of communications, said "there is no prohibition on NBA owners having an interest in businesses that represent non-NBA athletes."

If Mr. Carter were to represent basketball players, it is believed he would have to sell his share in the team, although he hasn't shown an interest in representing NBA players, according to people familiar with the matter.

In any contract talks, Mr. Cano will be represented by longtime CAA agent Brodie Van Wagenen. CAA Sports also represents stars such as Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade.

Mr. Carter, a Brooklyn native, has deep New York connections, playing numerous shows at Yankee Stadium and famously rapping that he "made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can." His involvement, as well as that of the New York-based Mr. Van Wagenen, seems to bode well for the Yankees' efforts to sign Mr. Cano for the long term.

Yankees officials seemed bemused by the turn of events, unwilling to handicap whether this increased their chances of keeping the All-Star second baseman.

"I have no idea what the future will bring on any of this," Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said.

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